The Kooks Concert

This semester I had such a neat opportunity to go to the Kook's concert with one of my very good friends up at BYU.  We had such a neat experience.  This is actually a video from the concert.  After we left the concert my eardrums were ringing for about 4 days straight.  It was definitely worth it though.  

Meet the Family

 This is my wonderful family.  My little brother, Warren, on the far left, is a stud.  He loves to play sports and he is a very smart kid.  My little sister, Hanna, in the middle left, loves to figure skate.  She is very athletic.  My twin sister, Aley, on the middle right, next to me, is up at BYU with me.  We are having a lot of fun and enjoying the full experience up here.  And last, my mom and dad, in the Middle of the picture, are the most amazing parents and I am super lucky to have them in my life.  I would like to say we are the perfect family but were not.  We do the best we can though.

Perspective on New Media By Elder Ballard

In the Article "Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet," Elder Ballard discusses the benefit of using the internet for sharing the gospel, as the name of the article implies.  In the past, it was very difficult to spread information very quickly.  Before the time of telephones and telegrams, the most effective way was writing letter.  Today, it has changed significantly.  This generation is growing up in an age where they have useful technology all around them.  And, quite frankly, with the use of cell phones and the internet, passing information around is very easy.  We should use this technology to share the gospel.  Elder Ballard states, "Now, may I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration."  The Internet can be a very effective way to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with such a wide audience.  Elder Ballard states that "the emergence of new media is facilitating a worldwide conversation on almost every subject."  This is astounding that the Internet can reach such a large audience on a variety of topics, including religion.  I am planning on using the internet to share the gospel with others.  It is an awesome tool to have and we should take advantage of it.

Hiking Timp

Earlier this year, a big group of my friends, probably about 20 kids, decided that we wanted to Hike Mount Timp.  After the ten hour hike was over, only three of us made it to the top.  And among that group was my twin sister and I.  It was such a neat experience.  I couldn't help but think about all of the wonderful creations God has made for the enjoyment of his people.

"A Child of God" By Henry B. Eyring

These past few weeks have been a period of great learning for me.  It has been a transition from my first semester, here at BYU, to my second.  As you know, with the end of the semester inevitably comes finals. Just to give you a quick background about myself, I am planning on majoring in Chemistry and pursuing a career somewhere in the medical field.  As you can probably guess, my story involves me and my Chemistry final.  Going into my final, I had a 97 percent in the class.  I was feeling very confident, which was probably turning into a sense of pride.  As a result of my high grade and -- I admit -- my pride, I began skipping class and stopped doing homework.  The night before my final I realized that the test was 35 percent of my grade and I had completely neglected to learn the new material.  As you can probably guess, I ended up getting a 76 percent.  It dropped my grade nearly 8 percent, all the way down to an 89.5 percent.  My pride had completely and utterly destroyed me.  Ironically this past week, I had the opportunity to read a talk given by an apostle of God about pride and its direct correlation to success in school.  In this talk, Elder Eyring portrayed exactly what happened to me.  Elder Eyring says,

"But I will tell you that not only can you pursue educational excellence and humility at the same time to avoid spiritual danger but that the way to humility is also the doorway to educational excellence." 

From my personal experience in this matter, I can say with confidence that this statement is true.  There were many lessons to be learned from Elder Eyring's talk, but the main point I gained is no matter how intelligent you are, or how wise you think you may be, there is always someone smarter than you.  Elder Eyring provided a great solution to this problem.  He directed us to remember the Savior and "what it means to be a spirit child."  In no way can we be compared to the Savior.  We are not worthy by any means, and in no way can we match up to his resume.  Christ is "the creator of all things, about which the wisest of us knows so little."  He atoned for all of our sins.  There are countless things he has done for us.  We are nothing without him.  Comparing yourself to him is a very humbling experience and will definitely change your outlook on life.  I know it did for me.  This will be the last time I will let pride fill my heart, the consequences are not worth it.